Ocean Plastics

Design and Technology | Ages 11-14

Ocean Plastics Design and Technology is a Key Stage 3 (KS3) resource. Students are taken on the journey of how the 6 Rs can be applied to reduce ocean plastic pollution.

Students will learn the science behind what makes plastics both brilliant for everyday purposes and devastating to our oceans and marine life. Exploring the 6 Rs students innovate product designs which creatively solve the problem of ocean plastics.

Included in this topic are teacher resources that promote students to problem solve through creative design. Students will design a user-centred recycling bin to promote recycling, create a sustainable fashion brand, build a modular phone, and pitch their own unique design solution to the ocean plastic problem.

You may wish to introduce ocean literacy to your students before commencing this unit by teaching our short Oceans for beginners unit of work for ages 11-14.


Lesson 1: What can we do to reduce ocean plastic pollution?

Students develop their knowledge and understanding of sustainability and what we can do to reduce ocean plastic pollution.

Lesson 2: Why should we recycle?

Students learn how their own recycling habits can impact the environment, before applying user centred design principles to create a recycling bin.

Lesson 3: How do we reduce, reuse and refuse plastic products?

Students learn how companies apply strategies to reduce, reuse and refuse, and apply their understanding to design their own fashion brand.

Lesson 4: Should we repair?

Students investigate how many products are designed to become obsolete. Students apply modular design to the mobile phone to make it more repairable.

Lesson 5: Can redesigning products help?

After evaluating how redesigns can reduce ocean plastic waste, students conduct a life cycle assessment of a household object before redesigning it.

Lesson 6: Design task

Students apply the 6 Rs to design their own ocean friendly product which they pitch to their peers.



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